Phantasms of the Heart
by Centurious the Azure
Summary: The world is a troubled place. People suffer, and have no voice to protest with. Let the world hear the Phantom Thieves in their stead.


Disclaimer: Persona 5 is the property of Atlus.

Phantasms of the Heart

By Centurious the Azure and Storm Wolf77415

A Gleam of Better Days

(March 19th, 2017)

The Ikarugas were the largest Yakuza family in Tokyo, and weren't afraid to make use of their power and influence if they had to. Yukimura Ikaruga was a renowned member of the Diet, currently in the running to become Prime Minister of Japan.

Yukimasa Ikaruga stood in the bathroom, looking himself over in the mirror before he got ready for school; shaggy, black hair framed a pale face, his reddish-brown eyes would be called many things by different people, some found it attractive, others thought they were really creepy. He just thought they were the color he was born with. He adjusted his uniform jacket, before splashing some water on his face. He was tall for being Japanese, nearly 5'10.

He went down the hall to where his younger brother, Kuroto was waiting for him. Like his brother, Kuroto had the same deep black hair, but it was cut in a more refined manner, a perfect match for his equally black eyes. He was just an inch shorter than his brother, a trait inherited from their father, Yukimura stood at a staggering 6'3" "Morning to you, bro. Hope you don't mind if I catch a ride to school with you today."

"Doesn't bother me at all." Yukimasa shrugged carelessly, smiling at his younger brother. "We should get going, don't want Principal Lardball on our cases." They entered the lobby of the family compound, where a long line of attendants were waiting for them, spanning all the way to the black stretch limousine parked outside the courtyard. They bowed in turn one by one. Yukimasa just rolled his eyes. Every day it was the same thing.

"HAVE A NICE DAY, SIRS!" the attendants all shouted at once. Kuroto, or Kuro to his friends, just looked ahead stoically. Yukimasa always considered this to be a walk of shame every morning. He didn't need the constant reminder of his family's status. It just made him more resentful. Yukimasa just opened the door of the car, letting his brother inside first.

"Ugh, you'd think they'd get tired of saying that to us every single morning." Yukimasa grunted as he closed the door, and the car got rolling. He looked over to Kuro, who had already raided the onboard liquor cabinet Yukimura had installed. "I'm surprised you decided to come with me today, bro. You're usually gone by the time I wake up."

Kuro frowned slightly. "Normally I would have already been gone, but I didn't put gas in my bike last night." He went to open up the liquor cabinet Yukimura had installed. "Let's see what we've got here. Dad always did have great tastes." He opened the door, and his jaw fell open, as instead of the expensive wines, there were two pouches of Caprisun sitting there, with a pair of notes. "What the hell is this?"

Yukimasa picked up the first note, noting the official letterhead of their father, and his distinct, elegant handwriting. "Just because I'm a member of the Diet, and run one of the largest criminal organizations in town is no excuse for you two to go to school piss ass drunk. Besides which, the two of you are underage, you shouldn't be drinking alcohol at all. But no worries, I had a fitting alternative put in for you."

Yukimasa snorted, rolling his reddish-brown eyes. "Dad always did know how to plan ahead, and you do have to admire his comedic timing."

Kuro picked up the second note, seeing it was from their mother. "Enjoy the Capri Suns we left for you boys. Mommy loves you both, so give School the old one-two punch for us! :3" He shook his head, taking one of the pouches. "Well, better than nothing."

His older brother rolled his eyes. "Yeah, remind me to thank mom, we're still five."

"She only does it because she cares. Besides, at least we weren't on our bikes when we were drunk." He offered the second pouch to his brother. "Come on, we should at least enjoy it. Now that I think about it, you need to take better care of your machine, bro. I might be the better mechanic, but that's no excuse for you to be lazy."

"Whatever." Yukimasa grunted as the limo stopped in front of Shujin Academy. He got out of the car, moving to join the line of students streaming in through the gate. His eyes narrowed in revulsion at the sight of Suguru Kamoshida, the gym teacher, standing by the gate. He had a lecherous gleam in his eyes as he watched the female students walked by. It made Yukimasa's stomach turn in disgust. "Can he be any more of a perv? It doesn't help that fat slug of a principal looks the other way."

He saw a young woman walk by him, wearing the blazer over her hoodie with red leggings. Her blonde hair tied up in twin tails, framing a pair of brilliant blue eyes. Kamoshida's eyes lit up, Christmas and his birthday had come early for him. Yukimasa's revulsion only grew. "Oh no, here we go again."

The blonde girl, Anne Takamaki, was something of an outsider at school, having a foreigner for a grandparent, which explained her hair and eye color, not to mention her above average height at 5'6". Still, no one could deny that she wasn't a stunning creature. Kamoshida certainly thought so, he had made it a point to try and get her pants almost every day. "Ah, hello there Takamaki, you look ravishing today." He spoke in an oily voice.

"Uh, thank you." Anne cringed a bit, silently wishing someone would come to her aid, sadly she didn't think it was going to happen, due to her mixed heritage, her looks made her stand out from everyone else, and Japanese society being big on conformity. Her entire body cringed, as Kamoshida undressed her with his eyes. "I'm sorry Sensei, but I need to get to class, I don't want to be late."

Kamoshida reached out. "I wouldn't worry about that, Takamaki. I can give Miss Kawakami a written pass for you so you won't get in trouble." Anne recoiled, not wanting him to put his greasy hands all over her.

Luckily for Anne, someone was on her side. Yukimasa had seen this routine play out enough time and he was sick of it. He decided to take matters into his own hands, walking up to her, pulling her out of Kamoshida's reach. "Sorry about this, Kamoshida-sensei, but I need to speak Anne about some important Student Council related business, right Anne?"

She looked at him confusedly. He shot her a look that plainly said 'work with me on this one'. It dawned on her in that moment what he was doing. "Uh, yeah, I need to help with the Student Council. Later Kamoshida-sensei." Anne clutched his arm as they walked away. "Thank you so much, Ikaruga-senpai! I thought I would never get away from him."

"It's not a problem, Takamaki. No one deserves to spend any amount of time with Perv of the Month." Yukimasa turned to Kuro. "Escort her to class, do not look back or stop for anything. I don't care if Kamoshida beckons you, bro. At school we're the kings, not him. If he has any problems with that, I'm sure I can arrange a meeting between him and Mom."

"Roger that." Kuro said, offering his arm to Anne. "Come on, I'll make sure you get there safe." She flashed a dazzling smile to him.

"I won't forget this, guys. You are totally my heroes of the day." Anne said. Yukimasa said nothing, just looking over his shoulder at Kamoshida, who was glaring at him. He just sneered at him. Adults like him may hold all the power now, but one day, that would change. He didn't have time to waste before he ran into Makoto Niijima, the Student Council President. On some levels he found Makoto to be kind of hot, with her chin length brown hair and reddish brown eyes that held a strong, determined energy.

Despite only being 5'5", Makoto carried herself with a dignified air, instead of the uniform blazer, she wore a black halter vest over a long sleeved white turtleneck shirt, the standard issue black and red plaid skirt finished by black pantyhose and brown ankle-high boots. She had her school bag in one hand and her hand on her hip. "So you and brother fancy yourself kings? That's real funny, I guess that means the king can do whatever he wants, like skipping student council meetings whenever he feels like it. You're the Vice President! You're setting a bad example for everyone else."

Yukimasa smiled deviously, starting in a melodramatic voice. "Once again on Shuujin Go, A wild Niijima appears. It's sad really, you're the only one I outright refuse to catch, sweetheart." He sighed dramatically. "To think I let Anne go when I was being the hero. Should have thought that through better."

Makoto just glowered, not rising to the bait. She just glared at Yukimasa. There was some snickering, she looked to where Ryuji Sakamoto and Yuuki Mishima were standing. "Is there something I can help you with gentlemen?" She asked in an icy voice. "If not, then I suggest you get to class."

"It's battle of the senpai, who will win this epic conflict?" Ryuji spoke in a dramatic voice, holding his hand to his lips as if he were holding an invisible microphone. Yukimasa rolled his eyes. Ryuji wasn't a bad guy, although he certainly looked the part of a punk with his spiky hair, died a brilliant blonde, and the fact he wore a decidedly non-issue yellow t-shirt with his uniform. Plus his grades were lucky to be average on a good day.

He had actually been a star member of the track team before one day taking a swing at Kamoshida, resulting in the entire team being disbanded, which made Ryuji even more of an outcast at school. Ryuji held his hands in his pockets, hunching over some to make his lanky figure even more pronounced.

Yuuki shook his head. "Seriously, they go at it like that every day. I have to say I'm jealous of Ikaruga-senpai. I wish I had that much sexual tension with a girl."

Makoto's nostrils flared, but Yukimasa beat her to it. "Wow, Mishima, you really have a death wish. I suggest you change that attitude or you'll never have it. You two better get to class or Niijima decides to bust out that Krav Maga or whatever she used that one time to toss me flat on my ass."

The two boys paled before taking off for their classroom. Makoto and Yukimasa shook their heads, before heading off to their own class. As they made it up to the third floor, they ran into another of their classmates, Yukira Hamashiro. She was one of the school's top idols, tall at 5'6", her hair, white as the fallen snow, came down to just above her waist, giving her pink eyes an extra little bit of shine. She wore her dress shirt untucked under her blazer, with a black bow tie around her neck, as well as white knee high socks and black sneakers.

"Well if it isn't Shujin's best known power couple." Yukira drawled, snapping her fingers in rapid succession. "I imagine you two are getting along well together, and by well I mean you were at each other's throats the minute you walked in the door."

Makoto just gave an irritated huff. "It wouldn't be a problem if the Student Council Vice President actually did his job! I swear, your brother handles his council duties far better, doesn't it make you feel the slightest bit guilty that you're being outdone by your younger sibling in this area?"

Yukimasa just shrugged. "The Vice President is just the eye candy. How many VPs do you know in US history actually had a huge role in the government? I mean, aside from overseeing a tie vote in the Senate, there's not much they have in the way of official duties laid out by the Constitution. Other than that, they usually handle the shit the President himself is too busy to deal with."

Makoto folded her arms. "Uh, how about Thomas Jefferson and John Adams? You are no Thomas Jefferson, in fact you're more like J. Danforth Quayle…and by that I mean you're barely qualified." Yukimasa just snorted, all too used to this repartee. Yukira said nothing, just watching with silent bemusement.

Yukimasa felt like he'd said this a thousand times before. Not like anyone listened. Especially Makoto. She merely thought it an excuse. "I only took the position because Principal Lardball literally gave it to me on a silver platter in order to appease my parents when they called."

Yukira rolled her eyes. "And it probably has nothing to do with the fact your parents own the fucking school and you mom is head of the school board, does it?"

Yukimasa shrugged again, stretching his arms over his head. "I heard he only got the position because Minister Shido put in a good word with my Mom." Yukira immediate let out a low growl, before she punched the wall.

"Your mother has terrible judgment if she's taking a recommendation from a fucking tool like Masayoshi Shido!" Yukira's voice held heavy venom laced with bitterness. She shook her hand once. "Excuse me, Maka. I need to cool off for a bit." She marched into the classroom without another word, sitting down at her desk while glaring at everyone.

Yukimasa winced. "Ouch…I guess I struck a nerve there." Makoto just gave him a dirty look that said 'you think so?' before entering the classroom herself. The eldest Ikaruga sibling just sighed. "I'll never understand women."

(March 29th, 2017)

Sebastian Connor sighed as he idly strolled down the Tokyo streets, not caring if everyone was looking at him because he was a gaijin. The son of a Marine, he had lived all over the world, and thus was used to people staring at him. "Take a picture, it will last longer!" He shouted at some onlookers in Japanese before stalking off down the street.

He didn't want to think he was a delinquent type, but his home life was far from ideal. After his father, Captain William Connor, USMC was killed while on duty in Afghanistan two years ago, his mother, Andrea had remarried, but his stepfather had proved to be a real scumbag, often beating his mother when he wasn't around. Sebastian had managed to catch him in the act, using the skills learned from his real father to protect his mother, and having him arrested.

After the divorce, Andrea and Sebastian has moved to Tokyo for a short time to let things cool off back home in the States. It has been during a tour serving in Japan when his parents had met, and Andrea figured it would be nice to soak in the memories. Sebastian had a good understanding of the language, courtesy of his mother. "I have to say, Tokyo in April is a lovely place." He remarked to himself.

His eyes then fell on a couple of Japanese girls walking on the other side of the streets. "And I get to see one of my favorite things…girls in panty hose and stockings!" he grinned.

"Oh look, it's Shi-hoe!" A mocking voice caught Sebastian's attention. He peered round the corner to see a young woman his age currently on the ground. She wore a beige sweater with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, a dark plaid skirt with a black knee brace on one leg, he noted with some dismay of the bandages on her arms and thighs.

Surrounding her was a group of girls wearing the same uniform. Sebastian didn't need to be a rocket scientist to recognize bullies. The leader of the group hoisted the hapless girl up to her feet, a handful of the sweater in her grasp. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Ugh, I can smell the old man sweat on you, tell me, what does Kamoshida pay you? How long does it take him to get it up?"

The girl just bowed her head, clearly ashamed at what her tormentors were saying. Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly. If there was anything he hated it was a bully. He decided it was time to intervening. Sebastian rounded the corner in full view of everyone. "Hey…mind if I crash the party?" He spoke in English. The bullies all took a step back as Sebastian stood protectively in front of the pony-tailed girl. He gently took her by the arm, helping her to her feet.

The girl looked at him with awe, unshed tears in her eyes. "You okay?" He asked in Japanese, causing her to gasp, before nodding rapidly. Sebastian pushed the girl behind him. He smirked a little, continuing to address the tormentors in their own tongue. "Surprised to know I speak your language? Not hard to pick up once you've heard it enough." His eyes narrowed. "I don't know why you were picking on this girl, but I'm certain she doesn't deserve your special brand of encouragement."

"Back off, this doesn't concern a filthy gaijin like you." the leader of the bullies snapped, pointing at the girl cowering behind her protector. "That girl right there is a slut and tramp, we're just trying to put her in her place."

Blue eyes narrowed. "Is that a fact?" He looked at the girl, tears in her eyes, pleading for him not to abandon her to her fate. He gave an understanding nod before looking back to the lead bully. "Well, that's too bad, because it sure doesn't look like it from where I'm standing. So kindly get lost or I'll have to use more…forceful methods." He curled up his hands for emphasis, slamming his fists together.

The girls recoiled in fear. They had managed to get their reputation by putting down those weaker than them, it was another thing when someone was willing to stand up to them. "Y-you wouldn't hit a girl would you?" She asked, fear coloring her voice. The unsettling smile on Sebastian's face didn't ease her worries at all.

"It depends on the girl. Normally I wouldn't dare lay a hand on a woman, but I think I can make an exception here." Sebastian took a step forward. "Do you want to test it?"

"N-not at all!" The lead bully snapped her fingers, and a group of boys wearing disheveled school uniforms came up, surrounding Sebastian. "We never go anywhere without some extra insurance." She came up to the leader of trio, giving him a light peck on the cheek. "Take care of this lowlife gaijin for me, sweetheart. I'll make it up for you later tonight!"

The leader of the enforcers, clearly the alpha bitch's boyfriend, sneered. Sebastian looked around, while he could have handled two or even three of them, there were nine of these guys, all carrying baseball bats, kendo sticks, and steel pipes. Not to mention there was the issue of the girl with the ponytail, he had to protect her as well.

One of the boys grunted, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he collapsed to the ground. "My my, nine against one? That's not very sporting." A decidedly western voice spoke, with a British accent. Sebastian didn't think he would ever hear that accent in this part of the world. But it was a young man Sebastian's age seemed to emerge from the shadows.

Seb's new ally had pale skin and dark brown hair, standing just a bit taller than him at 5'9". His eyes were two chips of the strongest jade green ever seen. With his style of dress, he seemed to walk straight out of a detective novel, what with the dark green trenchcoat that came to just above his knees, worn over a pressed white button-up shirt, plain black dress slacks, and a jade-green tie worn loosely around his neck. His black oxford shoes polished to a fine shine that caught the harsh glare of the streetlights. A cigarette was behind his ear, and a small, bisecting scar ran through his left eyebrow. The tip of the coat swished gently as it bounced about with each step.

One of the guys tried to attack the new arrival with a broken beer bottle, but he easily dodged under the clearly telegraphed swing, catching the thug in the back of the knee, knocking the weapon out of his hand, and dropping him like a bad habit. Sebastian then whipped out, catching the lead thug in the head with a picture perfect roundhouse kick, and then backfisting another in the face.

The man in the trench coat looked to Sebastian. "I suggest we vacate the premises. As much as I enjoy a good scrap, it wouldn't be wise for us to stay. They have friends." Sebastian nodded, taking the girl by the arm, the three made a run for it, heading down several city blocks. They ducked into the lobby of a building, watching as the bullies and their enforcers ran by.

Sebastian sighed, his shoulders drooping slightly. "Well, that was fun. I certainly didn't think I would get wrapped up in something like this today. My mom is going to love when I hear about this." Sebastian remarked, looking to his rescuer. "Thanks for showing when you did. I doubt I would have lasted long, even with my combat training." He held his hand out. "Uh, where are my manners? I'm Sebastian Connor."

The other Westerner just smirked, shaking Seb's hand. "Not a problem at all, the name's Ezra, Ezra Lamperouge. So what brings you here to Japan, Mr. Connor?"

"It's a rather involved story." Sebastian said. "I was just walking down the street, doing some sight seeing when I saw those skanks making trouble for our friend over here." He indicated to the girl, who was sitting on a bench. "I wasn't sure what was going to happen, so I stepped in."

Ezra frowned, taking a seat next to the girl. "Excuse me, Miss. Are you okay?" He spoke in a gentle voice, his Japanese nearly perfect. The girl craned her neck up to look into Ezra's eyes. "You got lucky back there, my dear. I dare say you would have been in big trouble if the two us didn't show up. Do you have a name?"

"Shiho…Shiho Suzui." The girl spoke in a soft voice, tears forming in her eyes as she hugged both boys. "Thank you both so much for saving me. It's been like this every day for the last two weeks." She clung onto Sebastian tighter, tears beginning to get his shirt moist. "I never asked for this at all."

"It will be okay." Sebastian said, patting her shoulder. "I know this may come as being kind of sudden. Perhaps the two of you would like to come to my place and have dinner with my mom? We're still new in town and I don't have much in the way of friends yet."

Shiho blushed slightly. "Uh, that would be nice, thank you so much." She never imagined she would two people who would be willing to stand up to defend her. "Uh, if it's not too much trouble to ask, could both of you maybe walk me home first? I don't want my mom to worry more than she already has." Sebastian looked to Ezra, the two men nodded.

"Anything to help out a lady in need." Ezra swept off his hat, bowing low. "I always did have a soft spot for women in trouble. We'll both make sure you get home safely, do you agree with that, Mr. Semper Fi?" Sebastian's eyes shot upward. Ezra smirked. "I can tell you have connections to the Marine Corps, considering you practice the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. I could tell how you flung the one guy over your shoulder."

Sebastian snorted in amusement. "Yes I do know MCMAP, my Dad was in the Marine Corps, he was the one who taught me the basics of the style." He trailed off, recalling happier times with his father. He cleared his throat. "Sorry, uh, I have to say, you have a rather sharp eye to pick out my style. To anyone else it just look like any other style of martial arts."

Ezra just chuckled. "Having an observant eye is critical in my line of work. I also noted the chain hanging around your neck; let me guess…your old man's dogtags?" Frowning, Sebastian reached into his dark green shirt, pulling out the telltale pair of oval metal plates. Ezra bowed his head slightly. "I'm sorry for your loss." The trio continued walking down the street, Ezra and Sebastian both flanking Shiho, ready to defend her at a moment's notice.

They soon reached the apartment building where Shiho lived. Anne was standing outside, worry on every inch of her face. Shiho smiled for the first time since the boys had met her. "Anne! Over here!" She called to her, running up to her.

"Shiho, I was so worried!" Anne said, giving her a big hug. "I had to run to a photo shoot, and I didn't see you after school. I thought you might have run into trouble when your mom told me you hadn't come home yet." Her eyes narrowed, was it that bitch Kokoro and her posse again? So help me if I catch them, I'll punch their teeth straight down their perfect little throats!"

"I'm fine, Anne. I just stopped at the arcade to relax a little bit before I went home." Shiho said.

Anne put a hand on her hip, "Are you sure about that? You were never much of the gaming type." She asked. Sebastian cleared his throat, reminding the girls they weren't the only ones present. Her eyes went to the boys, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "So who are your friends, Shiho? I have to say, they're both kind of cute."

"We met at the arcade." Ezra said, getting the hint Shiho didn't want her one of her only friends to worry. "My name is Ezra Lamperouge, this gentleman here is Sebastian Connor. We saw Miss Shiho looking kind of lonely, so we decided to make friends with her, and she asked if we could walk her home. Because let's face it in this day and age, there's so many dangers on these streets."

Anne smiled, offering a slight bow. "That is very true. My name is Anne Takamaki. Thank you for escorting Shiho home."

"You're quite welcome." Sebastian said, finding himself drawn to Anne's stunning good looks. He gently kissed her hand, eliciting a smile and a laugh from her, not like the overblown stuff he had seen in so many anime, but a delicate, light laugh that he'd think a true noblewoman would.

"Sebastian invited us to dinner with his mother, Anne. Maybe you'd like to join us?" Shiho offered. There was a part of her that was feeling something she hadn't in a very long time…hope. It was a feeling she didn't want to go away so fast, and she knew that Anne was just as much of an outcast as she was, so this would be good for both of them.

"My mom is a pretty good cook, Miss Takamaki. I'm sure she'd love the company, since it's just the two of us." Sebastian said.

Anne considered it for a few minutes. "Sure, I'd love to. We should let our mom know, so just give us a few minutes." Shiho and Anne went inside while the boys waited. They came back out, Anne took Sebastian's arm, while Ezra took Shiho's, and they headed for the apartment where Sebastian and his mother lived, just a couple blocks down.

"Mom, I'm home!" Sebastian called out to his mother, Andrea.

"I'm in the kitchen, sweetie." She called back. Andrea Connor was on the short side, a head shorter than her son. Her long dark hair was just starting to go grey, but her green eyes held a stern visage, one that was tempered by kindness. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the others, even more so when she saw the young woman on her son's arm. "I wasn't expecting you to bring home company, Sebby, and really, it didn't take you that long to find a girlfriend!"

Sebastian froze, looked to Anne, who started blushing, and they immediate untangled their arms. "I just ran into them along the way, Mom." Sebastian did his best to sound cool, but Andrea wasn't buying it at all. "They're all here to have dinner with us." Sebastian said, introducing each of them in turn. "These two lovely ladies are Anne Takamaki and Shiho Shizui. And this gentleman is Ezra Lamperouge."

Andrea put her hand on her hip, clearly finding something very strange about this. "Well, I certainly don't mind feeding a crowd, but I do find this whole situation a little on the bizarre side. Perhaps you can explain to me just what you were doing when you met these people, son?"

It was Ezra who came to Sebastian's aid, speaking in that smooth, refined voice. "It's a rather interesting story, ma'am. I'm certain you would be proud of your son for stepping up to defend Miss Shizui here from some bullies and the oversized gorillas they were dating. He was prepared to defend her nine against one. But that didn't seem fair so I stepped in. They were all armed, so I had to fight a little dirty." He put on a sardonic grin. "I'm pretty sure I broke one guy's knee when I stepped on his leg from the wrong angle."

Anne was horrified, turning to her friend. "Is that true, Shiho? Why didn't you tell me?" Her eyes narrowed in disgust. "Ugh, I bet it was Mizuki and that thug Takaki. They were always causing trouble even when we were in middle school."

Shiho bowed her head in shame, only for Ezra to give her a reassuring pat on the arm. "She didn't say anything because she didn't want to worry you, Miss Takamaki, but since you are clearly one of her only friends, maybe you can give us some insight on what's going on here." He sat back in his chair, putting an arm around Shiho, a constant reminder she wasn't alone any more. "I get the impression that there's a deeper story, and we don't have the complete picture. Tell me what you know, and I just might be able to make something happen."

Anne looked to Shiho, not wanting to tell anything without her approval. Andrea in turn, took hold of Shiho's hand. "It's okay dear. No one here will judge you. I can assure you of. Just start at the beginning, and leave nothing out." Shiho then nodded to Anne, confident they wouldn't be turned away so fast.

"I was never among the in-crowd at our school. The only real talent I ever had was at volleyball." Shiho trailed off a little, "The rest of the time I was just struggling to make it through school. Since I was always so quiet it made me an easy target for the popular girls like Mizuki. The only real friend I had was Anne." Her face lit up a little.

Anne smirked a little. "I remember the first thing we talked was in art class, she said and I quote. 'Takamaki-san, your paintings suck.' She wasn't wrong, that painting did come out looking kind of wrong."

"Stick figures looked better than what you did that day." Shiho laughed, it was a nice change from the perpetual frown she had been wearing since her new friends had come to her aid. "I've tried so hard to ignore Mizuki and her gang, but they wouldn't let it go."

Anne looked furious, half tempted to find Mizuki and give the bitch a first class beatdown. Sebastian likewise was thinking the exact same thing. There was nothing he hated more than a bully. Andrea's eyes narrowed. As a former schoolteacher herself, she was no stranger to bullying, and her teaching senses were still razor sharp, Shiho was still hiding something from them, but she wouldn't press the issue, and hope it would come out of its own accord.

She decided it was time to change the subject before things became any more awkward than they already were. "How about you girls help me get dinner started? I hope you like Italian, we're having chicken alfredo." The girls followed Andrea into the kitchen, leaving Sebastian and Ezra to talk.

"I never did say thank you for having my back during that whole mess…but what was the real reason you were there?" Sebastian asked Ezra, who just pulled out an old Zippo lighter that had seen better days and idly began flipping it open and shut. "You're not the only one with an eye for details. You just magically show up when I need assistance? Yeah, no one is that lucky. You were watching Shiho, weren't you?"

Ezra just chortled, flipping the lighter shut one last time. "You ever consider becoming a detective, Mr. Connor? Because, I certainly wouldn't mind having a sharp partner like you. You're correct on every account. I had been tailing Miss Shizui for a while now. It's complicated to say the least." He reached into his jacket, pulling out a black business card. "My card, it should make this easier

to accept."

Sebastian took the slip of cardstock, looking at the words printed in brilliant silver letters. "Ezra Lamperouge, Paranormal Investigator, Occult Expert, and Magus Extraordinaire?" His face screwed up a little as he read it. He wasn't sure if his mind was playing tricks on him. "Are you putting me on?" Ezra just sat back, a lopsided grin on his face.

"I suppose I should reword what it says the card, but what it says is quite true. I'm a private investigator who specializes in cases that involve the supernatural." He tugged on his coat a little. "I don't know how long you and your mother have been in town, but Tokyo has become a rather dangerous place as of late. The Yakuza are on the resurgence, there been a mass of unexplained mental shutdowns, and worst of all, several young women have disappeared in the last few weeks."

"I remember seeing it on the news, but really, it has connections to the paranormal?" Sebastian asked.

Ezra leaned in close. "Oh, it's very real. Those young women who vanished were all abducted by a very twisted group of people. They specialize in kidnapping innocent girls and selling them off to various cults to use as sacrifices in demonic rituals. I know it sounds ridiculous but there is a market for it."

It didn't take long for Sebastian to connect the dots, his eyes going to the girls in the kitchen. "Someone was looking to grab Shiho and Anne?" His eyes narrowed, "Those bullies were working for these…dare I say it, occult traffickers?"

Ezra nodded. "Got it in one. The actual legwork is outsourced to local talent, anyone who's willing to make a few bucks and not ask questions about what's going to happen to the victims. I've seen my fair share of delinquents in my time, but I noticed something very off about this particular group. So I've been tailing them for the last couple of days. They had been following both girls and I think they were going to try grabbing both of them."

"Shiho wouldn't have been hard to snatch up." Sebastian remembered how submissive she had been in the car park. "Anne might have put up more of a fight, but even she couldn't have taken those guys." He shivered all over. "Damn, that's messed up. So who exactly would want to grab them?"

"A cult of people who worship the demon Asmodeus. I tracked them here all the way from Central Europe. If I'm right…they may be trying to summon Big Ugly here before too long. I got a tip on them from my Uncle Lou, and if I don't act on it fast…well let's just say it won't be pretty. I'll be sure to get them home safe and in one piece. If I were you I'd hang on to that card. If you see or hear anything, I'm just a phone call away. I find that if I meet a person, it's for a reason."

Sebastian flipped the card around in his hand, still a bit skeptical about the demon stuff, but he couldn't deny that whole mention of the Yakuza and abductions was something not to be taken lightly. "I'll keep it in mind." He said, as Andrea called them to dinner, the tell-tale scent of grilled chicken smothered in white alfredo sauce drawing them to the dining room.

"I hope you kids don't mind small portions, I wasn't expecting to feed five tonight." Andrea said, doling out the food to everybody. None of the kids were about to complain, a free meal is a free meal. It wasn't long before stomachs were full, and everyone was satisfied.

"You'll have to give me that recipe, Mrs. Connor. I'm sure my mother would love to try it out." Shiho said, checking her watch. "Oh, it's late. We better get home, Anne. I know you're are in London for that fashion show, but I don't want mom to worry about me."

"I'll see to it they both get there safely." Ezra said, adjusting his coat. He offered a handshake to Andrea. "Thank you for the wonderful dinner Mrs. Connor, It was lovely. Nice meeting you as well, Sebastian, I hope we meet again soon." He eyed the younger Connor, who just patted his pocket, showing that the card was in a safe place. He ushered Anne and Shiho out of the apartment.

There was a slight chill in the air, Shiho shivered a little, only for Anne to put an arm around her as they arrived outside their apartment building. "You know I thought there were no more good guys in this world." Anne flashed one of her trademark model level smiles. "Thanks for proving me wrong."

"It's not a problem at all, Miss Takamaki. But if I may give you and Miss Shizui a warning, There's sinister forces at work in this town, and while you may not want to believe it or not, you two are probably targets." He pulled out a pair of business cards. "Here's my card," He said, giving both of them to the girls. "Give me if a call if you feel it's needed. It doesn't have to be about a case or anything, just if you need someone to talk to."

Shiho gave a grateful nod, happy tears forming in her eyes. Anne just gave the card a closer look, reading the printed words a few more times. She looked at Ezra with a questioning eye. "You're a PI, then? It's a weird specialty you have. But if you do this kind of work, you must know the Detective Prince, Goro Akechi then."

Ezra snorted. "Oh yeah, and I can assure you that Prince is a very accurate title for him. He's just a smarmy pretty boy who acts as the public face of the police. I haven't seen Akechi do a day of legwork in my entire time with the force. "Just remember what I said, if you think there's something or someone suspicious, give me a call." Anne waved, and she and Shiho went inside.

His eyes narrowed. "As for me…It's time to go to war." He made his way down the street at a hurried pace in order to reach the subway station. He had heard the cult of Asmodeus were going to attempt to summon their master at a parking garage over the Minato Ward, so he knew time was not on his side.

He quickly found his target on the roof. A group of about 15 people standing in a circle, their faces obscured by the hooded robes they all wore. A magic circle had been sketched into the pavement in blood red chalk, lined by blood red candles. Everyone's heads were bowed, reciting in Latin, while tied to one of the support posts was a young Japanese woman, with long brown hair, her face was streaked with tears, and she looked absolutely terrified.

"Fear not, Child, your life is being given up for a cause greater than you can ever possibly imagine." the lead hooded figure spoke. "Our lord and master will appreciate your sacrifice. You will live on as a part of him." This just made the poor woman's tears intensify. The sheer panic and terror just intensified Ezra's fury. He wouldn't let an innocent die on his watch.

He began chanting himself. A translucent bubble slowly materialized around the entire parking garage, and within the bubble the entire world around them began to change. The night sky went from its normal very dark blue to an eerie shade of green. The entire city had changed as well, every building was covered in a thick layer of soot, as if the entire city had burned, just like after it had been firebombed in WWII.

The cultists stopped their chanting for a second, looking around in disbelief at what had happened. "What is this? What is going on here?" One of the cultists asked worriedly. The planning for this ritual had taken months of preparation. Everything had been laid out exactly, even the night had been specifically chosen, and any sudden shift would throw the ritual off.

"Continue the chant my friends, we must persist until our lord comes." The leader said, looking to the shadows of the parking garage's down ramp "You can come out here now, stranger. I must commend you for your skills, only a mage of incredibly high skill and power could shift us into purgatory like this." Ezra emerged from the shadows, glaring at the cult leader. "Ah, our master will relish having an audience present for his welcome party. I must say I wasn't expecting you to be so young, I was expecting someone much older, namely Jonathan Lamperouge."

"I'm afraid my uncle is busy with his own cases. So you'll just have to settle for little old me." Ezra glared at the lead cultist. "It's a shame, you went to all this trouble to bring Big A here, you even got a hot piece of ass to offer him as a tribute. All I'm going to do is punt his sorry draconic ass back to the depths of hell where he belongs."

The cult leader let out a mad cackle. "Age doesn't always encapsulate magical experience, young one. Although, it does make a slight difference. You clearly have much to learn, this shift into purgatory is just a mere setback. I give it a half hour to forty-five minutes at most before we revert back to our realm. Your uncle could have kept us here much longer."

Ezra just smirked. "Forty-five minutes is all I need, do your worst!" The cult leader smirked within the depths of his hood, and began chanting with the rest of his followers. The lights of the candles began flickering as the summoning circle began emanating massive flames, belching unholy black smoke into the night sky.

The first thing Ezra heard was a low growl, and the sound of asphalt breaking as something hard slammed into it. His eyes narrowed as he found himself face to face with Demon Lord of Lust himself. Asmodeus towered over all at seven foot five, looking like an anthropomorphic dragon with the deep red scales that covered every inch of his body, with long, curved horns that would put Hellboy on his worst day to shame, the tail whipping about madly.

What was truly horrific were the goat and horse heads growing out of his left and right shoulders respectively. The horse head let out a shrill whinny as scalding black smoke emanating from its nostrils as it breathed. But what set Ezra on edge the most were the demon's eyes…black as night, with even the sclera consumed by it, the only indication their existence being a thin, yellow ring.

Asmodeus cracked his neck, the sounds of the bones audible to all. "Ah…it's about time I was called forth, it gets so droll down there." The goat head looked half dead, eyes sunken in until the demonic master caught sight of the terrified woman, the goat head began bleating in anticipation, its desiccated tongue sticking out, just waiting to sink into the flesh of its latest victim. Asmodeus just lovingly stroked it. "Worry not, my dear, there will be enough for everyone."

The girl screamed in horror. It only seemed to make Asmodeus content. "Ah, a sound that is never unwelcome, although I suggest you save your energy for when I take you back to my bed chambers. I assure you the Circle of Lust isn't nearly as bad as that fool Dante makes it seem. You will know pleasures like you have never encountered. After all…" His voice turned ominous. "Pain is the seed of pleasure after all." It was then his eyes fell on Ezra, who was just standing there, looking entirely unimpressed. "Who is this interloper?"

"He is no one my lord, just some wannabe magus who thinks he can possibly stop your incredibly glory!" The cult leader declared, before ordering to his followers. "Show your loyalty to your master, dispose of this wretch!" The cultists produced knives from their cloaks, all began advancing on Ezra, who just stood there, unassuming.

Ezra smirked. "Well, no point in delaying this any further." He held up his hands, producing a fireball between his hands. "Let's heat things up!" He flung the flaming projectile, hitting the first cultist square in the chest, momentarily turning him to bones before he exploded in a shower of sparks and ash. The cultists just stared at the spot where their companion had just been standing, looked to Ezra who had conjured up another fireball, and back. They all screamed before running away, only to be incinerated by a stream of flames.

The cult leader looked back to Asmodeus, hand still extended. "So far, I am unimpressed. Your minions are so weak as to be cowed by a single man?"

The cult leader bowed low. "Rest assured my lord, I will never falter in my devotion to you. Allow me to demonstrate!" The man threw his hood back, revealing himself to be a Japanese man with a bald head, and amazingly, his skin was bone white, it made him look like the grim reaper. "Show me the full extent of your abilities, young one. You will need it against me!"

Ezra just groaned in annoyance. "Oh great…if it isn't my old friend Crowley himself. Somehow I shouldn't be surprised you would be at the center of all this. You may have escaped me in San Francisco, but not this time. So I just don't have to vanquish your boss, I also have to exorcise you as well. I guess it's just another day in the life of Ezra Lamperouge."

The man cackled some more, sounding even more inhuman. "The time for talk is an end, now you will die!" Crowley thrust his hands forward, emitting massive streams of fire. Ezra was quick to pull his hands up, sending his own blast of flames. The magical flames collided with each other in a deadlock, very reminiscent of Gohan and Cell's epic clash of Kamehamehas in Dragonball Z.

Asmodeus just looked on with mild interest as the magic duel continued. Crowley continued his mad rant. "Ha ha, you can't win, Lamperouge! I didn't claw my way out of hell to get sent back. I will triumph here and no one will be able to stop me. Once I've dealt with you, your uncle will be next to fall, with Master Asmodeus at my side, nothing can stop me!"

A single gunshot rang out, and a horrible pain shot through Crowley's arm. "AAAAAAAHHHH! What the fuck?" He screamed, eyes bulging at the sight of the blood seeping through the wound. Smoke wisped from the barrel of the Beretta 92FS Ezra held in his hand. "You…you fucking shot me!"

"Well duh. You were so busy ranting on your innate superiority to me, I figured I'd just cut the bullshit and pop you one." He pulled out a rosary made of solid gold, catching the lights of the parking garage. "And now, I'm going to exorcise you, and then I'm going to do the same to your large friend over there." Asmodeus's nostrils flared as he said that.

Crowley screamed in rage as he tried launching another fire ball with his good arm, but Ezra just batted it aside, wrapping the rosary around his arm. He lurched forward, grasping the man's forehead and forcing him to the ground. He began chanting in Latin, "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica, ergo draco maledicte, ut ecclesiam tuam secura, tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos!"

The possessed cultist began spasming madly as the exorcism took effect. His eyes flashed an unholy red. "You think you've won, but this won't be the end! I will find my way back and I will take my revenge!" The demon gave one last roar before a ball of flames erupted from the man's chest before vanishing with nary a pop.

"Meh, that's what you said the last two times, dipshit." Ezra had no doubt this wouldn't be the last time he encountered that particular apparition. He then directed his gaze to Asmodeus. "Ah, and now we come to the main event. My uncle told me all about you, big guy. I thought he was exaggerating when he told me about the goat and horse you have embedded on your shoulders, so tell me, do you shit three times as normal?"

Asmodeus just folded his brawny arms. "Pah, I fear no mortal. Crowley was a mid level demon at best. No matter how skilled you may be, I am on another level entirely!" Ezra wasn't fazed by the demon lord's words. Asmodeus growled, stomping the floor impatiently. "You have no chance in beating me, you little punk! Don't look so smug!"

Ezra just smirked. "Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you completely. My uncle is far more skilled at the occult than I am. It would take a full team of mages on the same level as him to even think of combating you. However…" His eyes narrowed slightly as he reached into his coat. "These aren't normal circumstances at all!" He brandished a dagger with a gold hilt, encrusted with rubies, it burst into flames that danced in Ezra's eyes. Its hellish flames danced until they were extended to the length of a broadsword.

"The Sword of Uriel? Where did you that?" Asmodeus recoiled in fear, taking a visible step back. "That blade isn't meant for mortal men to carry!" There was genuine panic in his voice. The Sword of Uriel was a weapon that every demon feared; it was reputed to have been handed by God himself to Uriel in order to eliminate the Nephilim.

Ezra stepped forward, making the beast take another step backward. A look of grim seriousness overtook the exorcist's visage. "You have real reason to be afraid, big guy. I could destroy you in one swing, and then you wouldn't just go back to hell…you will cease to exist entirely! That being said." Ezra looked the blade over. "If you just go back to hell now, I will overlook this little transgression. You're a smart demon. I'm sure you'll make the right choice."

Asmodeus frowned. "You are a persistent one, human. Perhaps you and I could come to some sword of arrangement? You and I could rule together, with the sword in our grasp, Heaven, Hell, and everything in between could be ours for the taking. Not even Michael himself could challenge us." The evil smirk returned. "Ah, but perhaps riches and power aren't what you want, yes I can see into your heart. I know what you desire most of all."

He held up his hand, and the spectral form of a young woman formed in the palm. "This girl is precious to you. I see that now. She was supposed to be the one who ended it all, but she refused, and now she's a guest of my master." Asmodeus noted how the flesh around Ezra's eyes tightened. "I'll tell you what, if you give me the sword, I will restore Miss Morningstar to you, right now." He held out his hand. "What do you say?"

Ezra bowed his head. The demon lord smirked, confident that victory was well in hand. "I say…" Asmodeus recoiled at the fierce glare in his eyes. "That you get your sorry horned ass back to hell where you belong before I chop you up, piece by piece, head by head and every moment will feel like an eternity!" Asmodeus roared in anger, before vanishing in a sheet of flames.

The paranormal investigator sighed as the sky reverted to it normal state and Tokyo became a city of life once again. "Horned dumbass!" He muttered, looking the dagger over and smirked. "My thanks to the great Nicholas Flamel for creating this remarkable copy." He frowned a little as he thought of Asmodeus's words. "Although…I guess even the greatest of us are tempted at times."

He looked over the side to see the cultists scrambling to get out from the forcefield he had set up when he sent the entire area into purgatory. Ezra smirked, reaching for his phone. "I'll let the police handle them." He heard someone clearing the their throat, and saw the girl, still chained to the support beam. "Oh yeah, I suppose it would be smart to get you free, Miss." He checked the body Crowley was possessing, finding a key in the pocket. "Hold still." He said, unlocking the handcuffs.

The first thing the woman did upon being freed was throwing her arms around Ezra's neck, giving him the biggest kiss she could manage. "Oh, thank you so much! I thought I was toast!" She sobbed. "I was walking home from work and the next thing I know get grabbed by these assholes."

"How much do you remember?" Ezra asked.

"It's kind of foggy, but I remember being locked in a suitcase. I'm not sure if I was drugged as well, but the next thing I know I'm handcuffed to that pole, surrounded by all these Dungeon and Dragon rejects, and they say they're going to sacrifices me. I want to think this was all some hallucination."

Ezra patted her on the shoulder. "If only big and ugly was a figment of your imagination. Trust me on this, if it was a hallucination, you would be looking up the nearest shrink as soon as you possibly could. Because you just had an H.R. Giger level mind screw forced on you."

The woman's grip tightened on Ezra some. "I think I need a drink." She said. "Perhaps you could take me somewhere?"

Ezra smirked. "I know just the place. Oh, and uh, where are my manners? I'm Ezra Lamperouge, Private Investigator."

"Mika, I'm a model." She said giving him one of those trademark smiles people in her line of business did so well. "If you show me a good time, I might just give you a little extra, if you know what I mean." She winked at that. The two of them headed down the street, both eager to put as much distance between them and their little brush with hell as possible.

(The following morning)

Mika rolled over, the sheets the only thing keeping her from the world. Her eyes gently fluttered open, as she caught sight of the blue sky through the open window. She looked to where Ezra was standing, phone to his ear. He looked back at Mika, just giving a reassuring nod. "Yes, yes, I know, what can I say? Those cultists were dangerous men, and now they're off the streets. You should be thanking me for that."

He rolled his eyes as he leaned up against his dresser. "I'm sorry, Niijima-san, but I only just managed to get my phone working. You know those parking garages, they just drain your battery so fast and reception is horrible." He began talking with his fingers, clearly implying that the person on the other end of the line was just running their mouth.

"Okay, okay, yes, I know that it wasn't kosher remaining with the vic after I called the cops, you can rest assured she is just fine." He smirked at Mika when he said that. "She will be more than willing to testify against her abductors." He held the phone away for a second to mouth some nasty words. "I'm sure it will be yet another big notch on your belt for you. I'll be in touch."

He turned his phone off. "Opportunistic bitch, she'd sell out her own blood if it meant getting her a promotion. Whatever happened to such things as integrity and serving the public good?" Ezra's phone began ringing again, he looked at the caller id, seriously considering just pitching the foul contraption against the wall. He was paid well enough he could get a replacement with little trouble. "Oh great…my other favorite person in the world." He keyed the talk button, and put on a fake sounding cheer. "Oh hi, Akechi! Good to hear from you, again!"

Mika sat up, intrigued to learn more about her rescuer. Ezra looked less that enthused, but he kept the false cheer in his voice. "Oh, so you've heard about the takedown those cultists we were investigating, huh? Yeah, funny how those things work out, don't they? Oh, relax, you didn't miss anything at all! I just had to deal with an old nuisance of mine, and I got to scare off one of the Seven Demonic Princes." The cheer evaporated and his voice turned frigid. "So how about next time you actually get off your lazy ass and do some actual detective work? Then you can take the credit and it will actually mean something!"

Ezra turned his phone off yet again, letting out an audible groan. "Damn faker!" He saw Mika still in his bed, looking at him inquisitively. He cleared his throat. "I imagine you enjoyed that little show, huh?" He sat down on the edge of the bed. "I tell you, there's no honor among cops any more, everyone's in it for themselves, and they only want the glory that comes with solving the big cases."

"It sounds like your line of work is as cutthroat as mine." Mika remarked. Ezra drew a few conclusions from that one comment alone. Clearly, she was used to manipulating others, and with her good looks and charm, it was something she came by naturally. "So mind telling me what that was all about? It sounds like you have some people who are rather irritated at you."

Ezra just snorted. "Well, the first person on the line was Sae Niijima, prosecutor for the Special Investigation Department. "I'm sure you've heard of her. She was curious as to just how I managed to find those pleasant folks we met last night. Not to mention she wasn't very pleased that you and I skipped out when the cops showed up to arrest them, so she was giving me an earful. I'm used to hearing it from her, so it's nothing I haven't dealt with before."

"And the other guy?" Mika asked.

Ezra chortled a little. "You've heard of Goro Akechi, I bet?" Mika's delicate eyebrows shot upward. "Yeah, he's my 'partner', supposedly. Truth is he's more irritating than any demon I've ever faced. At least with demons I can banish them and no one would give a flying fuck. If I did try to rid myself of the little ponce, there's the whole thing known as 'first degree murder', and I would rather not go to jail."

Mika just harrumphed. "I always thought there was something fake about him whenever he was on TV. It looks like he spends most of his time at the salon getting his hair worked on instead of actually working. I don't have any need for people who don't take their job seriously, whether it's modeling, police work, or anything else in between."

He smirked. "I like your style, dear. Perhaps we can have breakfast? I know this lovely little coffee house down the street. Once that's through, I'll see about getting you home. I'll admit we'll have to think of what you'll say in your statement to Miss Niijima. It has to be believable, but nothing to ridiculous, I imagine she won't buy the whole demon thing."

Mika smiled. "Oh don't worry about a thing, I'm sure we can come up with something that can satisfy her. Provided you're paying."

(March 9th, 2017)

Kuro stepped out of the Student Council room. He could still hear his brother and Makoto arguing inside, and figured he would give them his space while he went home and got dinner ready. He was stopping at his locker when his whole world slid into slow motion. A young woman walked by him. He knew this girl very well. Haru Okumura was in the same year as his brother, and he couldn't deny just how cute she was.

Haru was petite at only 5'2, her curly, chin length brown hair framed an adorable face. Like many of her classmates, she had adapted the Shujin Academy uniform to her own personal tastes wearing a pink turtleneck cardigan sweater with short sleeves over a long sleeved white shirt, the standard skirt covered white tights with a black flower pattern, and black Mary Jane shoes.

She caught sight of Kuro. "Oh, good afternoon, Kuro-kun. Are you well today?" Haru looked away shyly. The two of them had met about a year prior, when their fathers had a business meeting. Kuro remembered the day all too well. He hadn't thought much of being dragged along on this trip, but Yukimura had insisted.

 _(January 14_ _th_ _, 2016)_

 _"I appreciate your investment so much, old friend." Kunizaku Okumura said, leading a tall man wearing a very expensively tailored Armani suit down the hallway. "I know with your help, I can make Okamura Foods one of the best companies in all of Japan! And this is just the beginning, with your upcoming campaign to be Prime Minister, I'm sure you'll need some loyal advisors once you take office."_

 _"Patience Kuni." Yukimura Ikaruga said, long used to his old friend's impulsiveness. "If you want to make this venture work, you have to think long term. One of your biggest problems was always leaping onto the next big thing and ignoring what you already have. We've discussed this more than once."_

 _Walking a few paces behind the adults was Kuro. "You have got to be kidding me." Kuro muttered, watching as the two men bantered. He didn't think much of Kunizaku, trying way too hard to look wealthy and successful, while the suit the man wore wasn't as high quality as his father's, Yukimura was known for having very expensive tastes, the orange and brown checkerboard ascot Kunizaku wore with it just made it hard to take seriously._

 _Kuro could see from a mile away that Okumura was just trying to kiss up to his father in order to get into the political scene by joining Yukimura's political campaign. It made him sick, but his father had the final word, Yukimura and Kunizaku were old friends since childhood, and they were trying to rekindle their old business partnership._

 _On the surface, the Ikarugas were known for being one of the largest real estate and construction brokering companies in this part of Honshu. They were responsible for practically rebuilding the city after World War II, much of the current skyline had the Ikaruga's signature all over it. The Ikaruga patriarch had instilled in his sons from an early age that Tokyo was their kingdom, and he was going to expand outward by running for Prime Minister._

 _Yukimura had given a sizeable donation for Okamura Foods to expand as the first step of the renewed relations between the two conglomerates. Kunizaku seemed like a little kid in his excitement. "I expect the new expansion to be up and running within the next year or so. It will increase our dairy output tenfold."_

 _"If I may make a suggestion, old friend. You may want to use some of that money to expand your PR department. There's still a lot of holes that need to be filled up after your last scandal." There was a hint of steel in Yukimura's voice. "When you're doing it wrong, I'm going to tell you right to your face, when you're doing it right, you'll get my praise. I didn't get this powerful by making the wrong moves. If you take my advice, you'll be right there alongside me."_

 _Despite their friendship, he knew all too well about how Kunizaku overworked his people and paid them substandard wages. More than once Yukimura had to lecture Kunizaku about the importance of caring for his workers, as such Okamura was the junior partner in this deal. It annoyed him to now end to have to constantly keep a thumb on him._

 _"Rest assured, I will have this covered. It will all be worth it in the end." Kunizaku assured him, to which Kuro just rolled his eyes. This guy didn't have half the experience as his father, and it showed. He got the impression Okamura was just saying it to get his father to stop lecturing him. "Come, I have someone I want you to meet." He led Yukimura and Kuro to the elevator, going up to the executive floor._

 _Kunizaku opened the French doors, revealing his office in its entire splendor. Large bay windows overlooking Tokyo, filled with gaudy, abstract pieces of art and cheap looking paintings. Again, Kuro was less than impressed, thinking that his father's business partner was clearly trying to compensate for something. But then he saw…her, a vision of true beauty amongst the decadence._

 _Kunizaku smirked. "Say hello to my daughter, Haru Okumura." He came up to her, gently running his fingers along her cheek. "Haru, this is Yukimura Ikaruga and his son, Kuroto. Please introduce yourself." Haru stood up timidly, giving a slight bow, which the two other men returned. Haru wore a pink dress that showed off a petite figure with pristine white tights covering her legs, capped off by black loafers._

 _Kuro wouldn't deny that she was a gorgeous girl, but he could tell she was just as clueless as to why she was there as he was. He could have been with his buddies from the track team or fiddling about with his next automotive project with his brother. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Okumura." He tugged the collar of his dress shirt. "Dad, can we just cut to the chase now? You made me get all dressed up for this, what's so important that I had to be here?"_

 _Yukimura looked to Kunizaku, the two men cleared their throats. "I'll just go ahead and be blunt. Kuni and I discussed setting up the two of you together as a way of formalizing our business relations." The two teenagers were agape in shock, but he held up his hand to forestall any protests. "Nothing is set in stone yet, I would never force the two of you into any kind of arranged marriage. I'm not that stuck in the past. We just want you kids to get to know each other, just give it a chance and see if you two would like each other."_

 _Kuro and Haru looked to each other for a few seconds, they could both see the confusion on each other's faces. He could see the hesitation in her eyes. It wasn't hard to tell she didn't want to do it, but at the same time she wasn't the type to protest. Their fathers were waiting expectedly, and they had to answer. Kuro ran his hand through his hair. "I'll be willing to play ball only if Miss Okamura herself is okay with it. I won't go through with it if she doesn't want to."_

 _Kunizaku folded his arms in a pompous manner, earning him a few more points on Kuro's 'reasons why I think you're a slimeball' meter. "You have a noble heart, Kuroto-kun. You've just met my daughter, and you're already thinking about her. That shows you have chemistry. I'm certain Haru will want to cultivate that with you, right dear?" Kuro didn't miss the slight glare father threw daughter. Haru just bowed her head, indicating her acceptance. "Then it's settled. You two will become good friends, and perhaps even more."_

(Present Day)

Thinking back, Kuro remembered hearing about a similar incident involving his brother, when Yukimura took him to meet Shido and his daughter. Yukimasa hasn't been nearly as accepting of it as Kuro had. Of course they did have a good laugh about it afterwards.

 _"I told him no well in hell, Kuro." Yukimasa said as the Ikaruga brothers poured over the engine block of an old 67 Chevy Camaro. "He acted like such a big shot, I just wouldn't have any part of it. So I told both of them, you can use each other to your heart's content. Dad, I love you, but I'm not going to be a party to your political machinations."_

 _Kuro chortled as he wiped some engine oil off his hands with a towel. "So how did they take it?" He said, taking the offered wrench._

 _Yukimasa smirked. "Dad took it remarkably well. He said, 'I've got to hand it to my son. He does have us down to parts per million, Shido-san. I suppose that any attempts at an alliance will just never happen. Oh well, no big loss in the end.' Dad was never one to be too discouraged. Captain McBaldypants didn't take it quite so well I'm afraid."_

 _"Did he get all huffy and indignant? He's not a real politician if he doesn't get all uptight." Kuro asked._

 _"He started glaring and said 'Children should do what their parents say. It's the only way to build the future.'" Yukimasa spoke in a deep, mocking tone, showing he was clearly unimpressed. He stifled a laugh. "I told him, 'To be frank, sir. I think you're the worst kind of scum I wouldn't even allow on the bottom of my shoe. You don't even try to hide it, I don't know if I should laugh or feel pity about your lack of subtlety."_

 _Kuro broke out into laughter. "Oh, I'm guessing that ended the meeting right there! I'm just sorry I wasn't there to enjoy the show!"_

 _Yukimasa chuckled a little. "Although, I did seem to make quite the impact on Shido's daughter though. She looked at me in a way I'm not sure how to describe. Well, after that, the two of us returned home and Mom was so pissed. But Dad went up to bat for me. He said. 'I was never really serious about forming any kind of partnership with Shido anyway. I took Yukimasa along as a lie detector and he confirmed what I already know about him.' I can't say I like being used that way, but give it to Dad, always three steps ahead of everyone else."_

As he reflected on his brother's words, Kuro reasoned he did want to be helpful to his dad. He felt a kindred spirit in Haru, and saw how Kunizaku had effectively strongarmed her into accepting this whole arrangement, but the more he thought about it, he contemplated it was probably for the best. "If I hadn't said yes…what kind of guy would he have picked for her?" Kuro concluded that the elder Okamura had real good taste when it came to suitors for his daughter.

A gentle hand resting on his shoulder, bringing him out of his reverie to see Haru looking at him. "Are you okay, Kuro-kun?" She asked, worry coloring her voice. "You were zoning out and didn't hear me."

"Oh, uh, sorry about that senpai. What did you want again?" Kuro asked, finding it hard not to get lost in her eyes.

"I said, perhaps you'd like to come with me, Kuro? There's something I've very much like to show you." Haru's blush intensified. Kuro looked back to the door to the Student Council room, where he could still hear his brother and Makoto arguing.

"Sure Senpai, I've got nothing else better to do. It's either spend time with you, or keep listening to that." Haru's smile just sealed the deal.

She took him by the hand, leading him upstairs, eventually reaching roof access. "Don't tell too many people about this. I got special permission to do this, and I'm afraid it would lose meaning if everyone came up here." Haru opened the door, revealing a beautiful garden. Kuro couldn't believe his eyes at the layout, he had never seen so much green in the heart of Tokyo. There was even a small stone bench to sit on.

Haru was clearly proud, "My little sanctuary from the world. Whenever I need to get away from the stress of my life, I'll come up here for a while and tend to the plants." She gently took one of them in her hand, her fingers running along the leaves. "Beautiful, aren't they? It's actually time to water them." She smiled one more time. "Perhaps you'd be willing to help me out? It won't take long."

Kuro scratched the back of his head. "I'll admit I don't have much of a green thumb, Okumura-Senpai. I'm better with grease on my shirt and a wrench in my hand. Although I would like to help you out if only because I want some fresh, home-grown tomatoes on my burger for the big cookout our families are having next week."

Haru smiled, he thought it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. "But of course, and please, call me Haru." They sat down on a stone bench, looking out over the city. "To be honest, I was a little skeptical of this whole idea. But you've been nothing but a gentleman to me so far. I was really scared when I found my father arranged this marriage. I'm used to people kissing up to me in order to score points with him."

"It not about the prestige for me, your family's company or your own personal status. I have plenty of that in spades." Kuro admitted, looking Haru straight in the eye to show he meant it. "I'll be honest, I wouldn't care if I didn't have any of it at all. The stuff that comes with being an Ikaruga isn't really all that's cracked up to be. I get the idea you feel the same way, Haru. I just want a good friend I can really confide in. My other 'friends' if you can call them that only see my wealth and how it can benefit them. I feel like it shackles me."

Kuro froze as Haru cuddled up to him, resting her head against his shoulder. "Thank you for saying that Kuro-kun." His heart began rapidly beating. "Because you're absolutely right. I do feel the exact same way." The two of them said nothing more, deciding words would just ruin the moment.


End file.
